Mechanism for removing useful fiber from seeds



AFA. /VARDELI DEC'D. H. G. vARDELL. Exfcunlx.

MECHANISIVI FOR REMOVING USEFUL FIBER FROM SEEDS.

APPLICTION FILED NOV-,'30, I'920.

Patented Nov. 2l, R922L 2 SHEETS-SHEET l [lll/IIIA A. A. VAHDLI.; DECD.' H. s. vARoELL. sxscumx. MECHANISM FORREMOVING USEFUL FIBER APPLICATION FILED NOV-30. i920'.

mom siens.'

-lPatented Nov. 2L 1192.2s

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Non. 2l, i922.

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indagate,

ARTHUR A. VABJDELL, DECEASED, LATE DALLAS, TEXAS, BY HIGHLAND G'EE VARDELL, EXECUTRX, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

MECHANISM FOR REMOVING USEFUL FIBER FROIV SEEDS.

Application led November 30, 1920.v Serial No. 427,368.

A This invention relates to the general class ot machines adapted to remove fibers `from their attachments, such as gins, cotton seed linters. wool-burring machines and the like.

Machines ot this type are broadly alike, but for cotton the operation is customarily carried out in two stages, the gin proper being relied upon to remove the long ibred cotton Jfrom the seed and the linter (or delinter) gin being employed to work upon.

the cotton seed, which is the product ot the gin proper, to remove from the seed the short adherent fibers. The gin proper and the linter gin differ from each other essentially only in the adjustments, proportions or dimensions ot the parts appropriate to their specific duties. This invention has particular reference to means for the recovery et ber or particles, applicable to saw gins tor either use` and to other machines,

rlhe invention will be illustrated and eX- plained in connection with a species of gin of the new type shown, described and claimed in the inventors copending application Serial No, 319,105, iiled August 22, 1919, lDatent No. 1,426,687, of which this application is acontinuation in part.`

All saw gins as heretofore constructed deliver a great volume of air as an incident ot the construction .and operation ot the (letting brush forming an essential part oit the gin. This airn charged rv'ith. tine particles oi lint and dust, when delivered 'into theV room, menaces the health and etliciency or the operators, and constitutes a serious tire risk. .ttempts have heretofore been nade to minimizethese risks by connecting the individual'gins to deliver' into common conveyor, or by air-cloning the saws by separately generated blast or suction currents, or by other enpedients, none o'i which are wholly'successtul for this purpose.

In the best practise known in the prior art,` pneumatic doiiing, or the common collection of itiber by delivery into a common flue or conveyor has resulted unnecessary expenditure oi power, often amounting to tour or more horse-power` per gin. The rotating elements of the gin itself expend much power in moving with them a great volume of air. Vhen external pneumatic means heretotore have been employed the air-moving effort of the elements ot the gin has been retained, with resultant waste of effort.

The present invention retains and utilizes the provisions of the said (1o-pending application 'for recovering a maximum percentage of the separated fiber, for preventing escape of dust and particles of lint into the ginning room; for relating together the liber-separating and doliing means in such a way as to secure a primary moting for the separation of heavier impurities prior to clotting the separating means; and for reducing the volume of air moved by the gin parts and employed to assist in the operations.

The present invention has 'for its further object the provision of means still further improving the purity oi the delivered lint, such means being adapted to remove line, light impurities or motes from all sources of collection oi the lint; and to provide improved arrangementsA of the parts, including means capable of reat y adjustment tor controlling the delivery trom the machine of the denuded seeds; for controlling the pneumatic currents where relied upon to aid in sparating out the impurities; and for relating together the improved ginning, doiling and moting elements to obtain the above and other benefits.

The machine comprises for these purposes means capable of acting on the lint torn from the seeds to separate the motes or impurities in accordance with the impactvelocity of the heavier particles; and other means operating in accordance with the gravity-settlement of the remaining impurities against flotation in a gentle air current These means may act successively or severally at dilerent times, and one object oi' the invention is to provide in a gin having the essential saws or other liber-separator means and the essential doiler means, devices tor actin on the product a number oi' times thorough y to separate the motes from the good lint. ln the preferred form, there are two mote-separating stages in the operation, in one of which motes and 'iber are separated primarily according to their ditferent impact-velocities, and in the other of which the separation is eected primarily according,- to the Cli'erent rate of settlement under gravity of motes and ber in an air-l current.

In the accompanying)` drawings illustrating one preferred form of the invention,

Fig. l is a vertical central section through a linter gin embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is a detail from elevation partly in vertical section on the line 2 2l of Fig. l, showin g means for one of the adjustments.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l best shows the arrangements of the new type of gin in which the fiber separator elementV comprises a cylinder of saws l0 built up on the shaft 2,'arranged to be driven as usual in adjustable bearings, not shown, on the frame l.. Beh-ind and beneath' shaft 2 a rotary dolier brush 5 of smaller size than usual is arranged to operate 'with the creation of as little air current as possible, for instance as explained in the said Patent No. 1,426,687, the brush cylinder preferably being of the constructiondescribed and claimed in the divisional application Serial No. 429,- 562 filed of even date herewith (Patent No. 1,426,689). For the purpose of adjustment to take up wear `and other purposes the shaft 3 of the doer brush is arranged for at least vertical adjustment; for instance by means of the screws 46, 47 in frame lugs and respectively bearing on and clampingmovable bearings 48 for shaft 8. The brush lies ypreferably at a position at which its center of rotation is in a plane extendingrrdown wardly about 20 and to the rear of the vertical through the center of rotation of the saw cylinder 2, l0; but a variation fore and aft of several degrees will still accomplish the purposes intended for this position of the brush. Among; these purposes are capacity for ready access to the brush with out removing' the saw-cylinder; capacity to employ the brush-created air-currents for a suction effect countervailing the `air-blast from the saws, and active as far upward and forward as the gin-grate and'seed-gate; capacity to mote above the brush and behind the saws; and capacitv to utilize the action of the brush for meting' according to a different method in the region `under the brush; and capacit-y to obtain a delicate adjustment of the effect of air-currents in the gin or simple iahang'es in the position of its static parts.

The saw cylinder` `cooperaies, as usual., with the ribs 9 of a gin grate which may be of any preferred or usual` construction. und beyond the grate the sawsq as usual'. run in Contact with a roll or rotatingmass of material to be ginned rotating?,` `in theroll box {generally designated at 8. which has 4improved features presently explained. llhe charge in the roll box` may be replenished. by any usual or preferred type of feeder l2, 13 approp iately associatedL with the frame l.

`The*"mentioned arrangement, dimensions and operative capacities ot.' the doifer brush 5 are such as to provide spaces exposing a wide arc of the periphery of the saws behind the saws and above the brush and below the saws and in front of the brush. These spaces are utilized in the manner hereinafter described, respectively asa primary moting chamber A and as a receiving space B for doifed lint centrifugally thrown from the saws and the brush 5.

A space G beneath `the brush 5 is also made available for a secondary meting operation.

To permit these operations the gin comprises a back seal 26 enclosing chamber A, for instance connecting the frame longitudinal 1 and the top of a vertical backboard 27 which is provided with an adjustable air gap 82, and preferably with anV interior baffle 33 for distributinga current of air enterimg` through the gap 82. On frame longitudinal 2l, and preferably hinged thereto at 22, an adjustable mote blade 2O is adapted to be fastened by the thumb nut 23 with its point 24 in a predetermined position, which further defines the chamber A. The bottom of the chamber A may be closed by Aa trough member 29 from which a screw conveyor 30 can -removethe metes.

The rear side of the brush 5 works in close proximity to a sealing` concave 37, preferably hinged at 38 and adjustable by a thumb nut 39. i

One Vface of the concave 37 also defines the upper side of a flat suction trunk 50, of which the `lower side terminates at a line 5l spaced from the periphery of the brush 5, The suction trunk may be supported'by a suitable frame member 52. A continuous suction of predetermined pressure is provided in trunk 50 by means, not shown, exterior to themachine; The bottom wall of thc suction trunk is continued, in adjustable direction andi position, by a mote board preferably hinged at the line 5l and having means, such for instance, as the sector 56 and lock nut 57, for adjusting the angular position of the mote looard` 55 about the line 5l.

The space or vchamber B in front of the brush 5 is closed by an adjustable wall eeuw/n.`

ing' as an air deflector and air currei velocity-controller. This structure preferably comprises three parte, an inclined board 70 preferably having a `.metallic lining; 7l. and lianges 72 horizontally slotted at Fil for adjustment by hold-down screws 74: a vertical board 7 5 between the lower edge of the board 70 and the floor under the ein. having' a ange 76 and similarly capable of adjustment: and a seed' slide and airregulator 78. The upper left hand side of the board 70 provides support, for instance, for an adjustable preferably metallic, structure 77l having .the inclined, face 78 approximately radial to the saws to guide the seed falling out of the roll box and breast-structure, and adjustably to determine the clearance between its inner edge hand the saw peripheries. The margins of the structure 77 are preferably arranged to be pinched by pinch screw 7 9 in the slot 80 in the part 70 for adjustment purposes.

By these arrangements the position of the inclined slide and air deflector 78, of its inner margin', and of' inclined wall 70 may be horizontally shifted to change the width respectively of the clearance at the saws and otl the throat 8l between the periphery of the brush 5 and the inner face of the board 70, and hence to control the air-current flowing downwardly in this space as a result of the motion of the saws 10 and the brush 5, which is also somewhat affected by the inflow into the suction trunk 50. rlhe relatively feeble blast effect ofl the brush 5 is herein concentrated at Sl to a maximum velocity of flow. i

The relative positions of the front board 75 and the mote board 55 together control the extent and operation of an air gap G lying beneath the brush 5, and provide means for a secondary meting of the lint before delivery. The current flowing down the passage 8l is directed toward the center of gap G by its surroundings. The current induced by suction trunk 50 and flowing in the direction of the arrows from behind and beneath the gin flows upwardly into this gap, predominantly along the front wall 75. The current flowing into the suction trunk 50 flows about the periphery of the brush and across the top of this gap and some of it is diverted downwardly along the wall of the gap defined bythe mote board 55.

The effect of this is to maintain a gentle upward current in the gap Gr, in which there is a central Cyclonic eddy as illustrated at c resembling the effect secured by the machine of the inventors prior Patent No. 1,102,177, June 30, 1914. So much of the product generally of the gin flowing through the passage 8l as contains any motes is appreciably detained in the G during a sufiicient time to permit line light inotes flowing with the product stream to settle by gravity out of the stream entering the suction trunk 50. This action is aided by the tendency of the pure lint to follow the periphery of the brush and enter the trunk 50 without participating in the eddy e, and by the velocity of the whirl e in aid of gravity to separate out particles slightly heavier than the lint.

The action of the gin-elements proper of the machine will now be clearly'understood. Primary moting is effected in the chamber A as explained in the said parent applicafion. rllhe peripheries of' the saws l0 leaving. the grate 9 impart a great impact velocity to the heavier and more solid impurities such as concretions of lint, sand, scraps of boil, pieces of' sticl: and fragments olf broken seed. These motes are thrown in the direction of the arrows ji/ under this impact velocity and pass to the right of the point 24. of the mote blade 20. rlhe greater part olf the lint travels in the teeth of and near the peripheries of the saws l0. Such of it as may have accompanied the niotes thrown in the direction 7/ is returned to the saws by the indraf't of air flowing through the gap 32, as induced by the rotary fan action of the saw cylinder and the brush 5, there being no free path 'for air past the concave 37 and the support 21 for the mote blade Q0. rlthe action in the chamber A is therefore a centrifugal impact-velocity separation of the heavier particles, coupled with the pneumatic return to travel with the saws of the finer and lighter part of the lint. Some impurities desirable to be removed which are very slightly heavier than the lint are also returned to the saws when the vadjustment of the air gap 32 and the remaining adjustable parts is that desired.

As also explained in said parent application, the inflow into the space beneath the grate and the saw cylinder and up the slope 78 is relied upon to recover and to take into the pneumatic currents flowing in the gin that portion of lint which is actually separated by the saws butleft in the roll box or in association with the seed falling away from the grate 9.

This fraction of the lint often contains motes of a light nature, which do not enter the chamber A at all, and may contain immature seed, pieces of' hull and other matters mixed with the charge which fall out of the incoming charge of seed from the feeder on the first half of their travelwith the roll in box 8. Motes from this source are also effectively separated from the lint in the gap Gr.

Brush 5 doffs the saws peripherally accordingv to the operation explained in said parent application, by the action of the annular series of bristles mechanically sweeping the peripheries and the faces of the saws near the teeth, and throws fiber ofi:1 into the chamber B above the board 70. By these arrangements all the fiber is mixed thoroughly with the air with little or no formation of a mat on the doffer brush 5, and the stream of fiber laden air is in condition to be subjected to the gravity-and-cyclone separation action taking place in the gap (il. The result of the operation is to deliver through the trunk 50 lint in a state of purity not attained heretofore by any means of which the subscriber is aware.

The operation of the gin especially when its dimensions and adjustments are. shown, those for delinting, is further aided by improved devices associated with the roll box 8 for retaining the unginned seeds in contact with the saws until they are thoroughly delinted. llli'licient action to this end has heretofore been sought in the operation of linters, but has been attained. with difficultyf by skilled persons and has not been in convenient reach of the average operator i for lack of appropriate means to adjust the old parts of the machine.

The preferred construction of the breast structure comprises the usual grate-fall 9, 11` pivoted at 90, and preferably in the pres ent case comprising an upper longitudinal channel member 16 adapted to be locked by the shackle-bolts 1.7 to the ends of the frame longitudinal 1. The usual driven 'float (3 is journalled in the end plates Se of the breaststructure or roll box 8 andthe usual hopper 12 may be provided by a forward bend of a metallic lining 100 suitably fastened to the interior of a grid casting 101 defining the front wall of the roll box and pivoted on the end pivot screws 102 in suitable bores in the casting 101, see Fig. 2, for limited motion ofthe seed board, so called, (the front wall 100), about the point of the axis 102 as a center. The lower end of the frame 101 terminates in a rake-head 10B and in the hinged front cover 104;. The rake-head 103 has the important function of determining` the degree of contact with the saws of seeds otherwise free to drop 'out of the roll box 8 by gravity, by positioning these seeds in respect to the. rotating saws to determine whether they will be seized by the saws and again taken around with the roll or whether they will drop through the slots in the rakehead and fall out of the machine. rllhe desired automatic action is such as to detain in the roll any seed with enough projecting fiber on it to be influenced at all by the near proximity of the saws.A To obtain this effect, axial and radial adjustment of the rakehead 103 with respect to the axis 2 of the saw cylinder is essential. This is effected by permitting longitudinal motion in the direction of the axis 2 at the pivots 102 to the minute degree necessary, and vby effecting; the radial adjustment of the rake-head 103 accurately and evenly from side to side of the gin. i For these purposes' the pivot screws 102 may be coincidentally moved to shift the whole frame 101 axially through the clearance between it and the heads @"1 for the minute adjustment necessary. Rotation of the structure 101, 103Y about the centers 102 is relied upon for the adjustment toward and .away from the saws, and is controlled by an eccentric shaft or rod 110 bearing in yokes 111 of the ribs 112 of the frame 1.01, the eccentric shaft 110 being held to freedom for a substantially radial motion only inrespect to the centers 102 by yoke covers 113 fastened to the yokes 111. The rotary position of the shaft 110 is held by a loclrnut 115` on the threaded and reduced end 11601 the shaft 110. This reduced end 116 is journaled in a threaded gland 117 having a shoulder 118 and a locking hand-nut 110 adapted topinch the gland 117 in ways 118 substantially radial to the center 2 and formed in the heads 8 of the roll-box.

These arrangements are such, it will be observed, as to permit the shaft 110 and the frame 112 to be swung upwardly freely aboutI the pivots 102 as a center, upon re leasing the glands 117 from the slots 118. When locked in place the glands 117 permit delicate adjustment of the rake-head by turning the shaft 110 and locking it by means' of` the lock nuts 115. It will be understood that the shaft 110 is provided with Spanner-holes 120 for an implement for turning it, and that the structures as shown at the left of Fig. 2 are repeated at the right in a symmetrical sense.

lVhat l claim is:

1. Mechanism for removing useful fiber from seeds having therein rotary means for tearing the fiber from the seeds, primary means for separating metes, thrown centrit'ugally outward from said rotary means, from the fiber, means for delivering` the separated liber from the machine, and secondary means comprising an open air gap for separating metes from the fiber on its way to said delivering means.

2. Mechanism for removing useful fiber from seeds having therein means for separating the fiber from the seeds, means for separating metes from the separated fiber according to the different impact-velocities of the fibers and the metes, means for collecting the separated fibers in a stream for delivery from the mechanism, and means comprising an open air gap across which said stream passes for separating metes from the fibers according to their different speciic gravities. i

3. Mechanism for removing useful fiber from seeds having therein rotary saws for tearing the fiber from the seeds, primary means for separating metes, thrown centrifugally outward from the saw, from the liber, pneumatic means for delivering the separated liber from the machine, and secondary means comprising` an air gap through which flows an upwardly directed air eur rent for separatingmotes from the fiber.

Il. A saw `gin having therein meting means adapted to separate particles thrown by impact of the saw teeth from material traveling` with the saws,' doifer means for the saws, and meansk comprising an open airgap over which the doifed material is caused to pass for separating the heavier from the lighter parts of the material.

5. A saw gin .having therein IDOJiIlg-Ileens adapted to separate particles centrifugally thrown by impact of the saw teeth 'from material traveling with the saws, pneumatic means for hindering centrifugal motion oit' the material traveling with the saws, do'er means for the saws, and .leans cooperating with the doifed material for separating the heavier from' the lighter parts et the material.

6. A gin having therein rotary means ior tearing the ber from a mass ot seeds, means for separating the ber from impurities centritugally thrown from said rotary means, means for doing the ber 'from the rotary means, means for collecting detached ber from the seeds and means for subjecting the do'ed and detached ber to the action of a gentle upward current of air for meting such ber 'by gravity action.

7. In a gin, in combination with aseries ot rotary saws and a rotary do'er-brush, means for meting the saw-detached ber having a part for separating the paths taken under impact of the saws by motes and by good ber, and means for moting the ber separated by the saws having therein means for exposing the air-stream containing the ber and induced by the'doi'iier brush to the action of gravity in the presence of an entering air-stream moving upward.

8. A. gin having therein rotary means for tearing the ber from the seeds, means for separating the ber from impurities centrifugally thrown from said rotary means, means for doing the ber from the rotary means, means for moting the dotted ber by the action of gravity, and pneumatic means for removing the cleaned ber from the machine.

9. A gin having therein rotary means for tearing the ber Jfrom the seeds, means for separating the ber from impurities centriugally thrown from said rotary means, means for dofng the ber from the rotary means, means for meting the dotted ber, comprising an open chamber wherein the ber is subjected to the action of gravity in a gentle upward current of air and a suction ue for removing the ber 'from said last mentioned meting means.

l0. A gin having therein a grate and rotary saws beneath and behind the grate, and a rotary brush coactingwith the saws at an osculating line beneath and behind the saws, in combination with horizontally adjustable air-deector means closing the space in front of the brush, said means being removable to permit access to the brush without disturbing the grate or saws.

ll. A gin having therein, a grate and rotary saws beneath and behind the grate, and a rotary brush coacting with the saws at an osculating line beneath and behind the saws, in combination with a substantially vertical plate having an upwardly and forwardly directed extension, and means 'for removably securing said plate in operative position, said .plate with its extension dening, space i'or do'ed lint in front et the brush and coacting with the brush v'o establish an inward airl current and beneath the 'forward edge of the grate.

l2. gin having therein, a grate and rotary saws beneath and behind the grate, and a rotary brush coacting with the saws at an osculating line beneath and behind the saws, in combination with meting means above the brush and behind the saws, means enclosing the front of the brush to form a dotted-ber reception space and adapted to direct air moved by the brush downwardly and to the rear or" the brush` and a pneumatic trunk behind the brush, the parts providing an open gap directly below the brush for the entrance of air and separation ot motes.

18. A- gin having therein, a grate and rotary saws beneath and behind the grate, in combination with a rotary brush coacting with the saws at an oscillating line beneath and behind the saws, and with meting means above the brush and behind the saws, means enclosing the iront oi" the brush to form a doied-ber reception space and adapted to direct air moved by the brush downwardly and to the rear of the brush, and a pneumatic trunlr behind the brush, the parts providing an open gap under the brush for the entrance of air and separation orn motes.

14E. A gin having therein a grate and saws rotating on an axis behind and beneath the grate, and having a dower brush rotating on an anis beneath and slightly behind the vertical from said saw axis, in combination with an adjustable air deector beneath the grate and in front ot the brush and saws adapted to cooperate with the brush to draw air over the deector and into a space in front of and beneath the brush, said air deector being bodily adjustable toward and from the vertical plane ot the axis of the brush whereby to vary the width ot the space in front or' the brush.

l5. A gin having therein a grate and saws rotating on an axis behind and beneath the grate, and having a doer brush rotating on an axis beneath and slightly behind the vertical rom said saw airis, in combination with an adjustable air deector beneath the grate and in front of the brush and saws adapted to cooperate with the brush to draw air over the deector and into a space in front of and beneath the brush, an adjustable mote-board spaced :trom said air-deector and beneath and behind the brush, and a lint-trunk having an intake between the mote-board and the brush.

16. A gin having therein a grate and saws rotating on an aXis behind and beneath the grate, and having a doer brush rotating on an axis beneath and slightly behind the vertical from said saw axis, in combination with sealing means in proximity to the rear of the brush for substantially preventing upward passage of aii currents induced by its motion7 a. meting chamber above said sealing means, a suction Hue having an intake beneath said sealing` means7 an air-defleetoi in iront ofthe brush for directing the dof'ed ber and an moved by the brush downward- 1y and rearwardly, and an adjustable nmte- 10 board undei` the. flue-entrance adapted to ielfgulate` a meting ainga'p undeil 'the brush and behind ythe aii-def1ect0i".

Signed by me at Dallas, Texas, this 10th day of November, 1920.

HIGHLAND G'EE VARDELL,

Avtmo A. Vcmiell, deceased. 

